Drawing Parallels
by Ria D'Arcy
Summary: Two shot. Chapter One features a younger Zeno and Silva: Silva wants to leave the assassin business just like Killua. Zeno lets him go in the hopes his son will realize what the world is really like. Chapter Two features a younger Illumi and Silva: Illumi asks about normal people. Does he wish to leave the family? And does Silva convince his son to stay?
1. Zeno & Silva

_A/N: For those of you who have been reading my other fics and are now wondering why I am YET AGAIN writing another one shot… blame __**Razorblade Mistress**__. No joke. That girl informed me to watch the __**Nightmare of Zaoldyeck**__ (if you haven't watched it go to youtube search "Kanime18" –my channel- and you can watch the whole thing subbed). And while I was watching it (in between nearly laughing my head off and WTF moments) I got ideas for short, fluffy one shots. _

_Sooo… here are my attempts. These are going to be horrible (most likely). But my brain just won't focus on anything else - I keep coming back to these ideas. _

_May I now introduce the rarely seen (but awesome) __**Zeno Zoldyck**__ and his son __**Silva**__! This chapter is all about them. The next one features Silva and Illumi (no hard feelings if you skip this to get to Illumi ^,^)_

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**Synopsis:** Silva wants to leave the assassin business just like Killua. Zeno lets him go in the hopes his son will realize what the world is really like.

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"Dad, I want to leave." I paused in the middle of eating my dinner to stare at my only son. He had inherited the same silvery hair, but I was happy to see the blue eyes of his mother staring at me. His gaze didn't waver as I slowly set my fork down and looked at him more closely.

My son was growing older, becoming stronger by the day. He would make a fine assassin soon. In a couple more years when he turns fourteen… and of course once he marries that fiancée of his Kikyou… I will be more than proud to call him the heir to the Zoldyck Family.

But for him to say this…

"Why Silva? What is so displeasing about your life?"

"It's bo~ring. I want to see more of the world than just this mountain and what I see when I'm out doing assignments. I don't get the chance to actually see anything _cool_."

"I digress. You get to see many 'cool' things."

"Nah-uh. I get to see the inside of people's houses before it's khhk," he made a motion of slitting one's throat with his fingers, "for them and straight back home for me."

"What about the view from the airship? Surely that is cool?" I placed my elbows on the table, intertwining my fingers and leaning forward. Curiosity sparking my motivation to question my son.

"Bo~ring." Silva immediately replied, leaning his head back enough to show a good portion of his neck. Not a good habit for an assassin to keep… I will need to teach him about that later, I mused, still staring at my pre-pubescent son.

"Hehehe… Then what would classify as 'not boring'?"

"I don't know Dad… anything more than just going on assignments all the time." He whipped his head forward to stare at me again. He splayed his hands on the table and used them to push his chair back with more force than was really necessary.

"You know what? I'm just going to leave. Screw this assassin business. Later."

"Remember to say goodbye to your mother." I called out as he reached the threshold of the large dining room. He paused before calling back,

"Why would I want to say goodbye to someone like her? She's annoying." He started to walk away again, his steps slower this time. I almost had to agree with my son on that point. Kokoru was not the easiest woman in the world to get along with, but she did make a fine assassin.

When I didn't call out to him again his footsteps slowed another few seconds. Like he didn't believe I was simply letting him go. I felt him come back and hover in the shadows of the doorway. He was concealed visually, extremely well, and he was watching me. I picked up my silverware again and resumed eating, acting completely unaware of his presence.

I swallowed and reached for my drink, taking a leisurely sip before I asked no one in particular.

"Yes?"

His presence faded away and I knew he had left. But there was no doubt in my mind that Silva would come back. He would find the outside world just as boring as he claimed his life here to be. He would also discover the hard way that the world was not as black and white as it seemed.

Living as a Zoldyck was simple. Living as a normal person was not. My son would discover that in time.

…_**FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER…**_

I was walking through the corridors of the house, idly wondering what Silva would currently be up to when I felt his presence nearby. He was in his room. How interesting. I wondered when he had gotten back. I didn't recall receiving a call from the butlers.

I pushed open his door and saw him sitting on his bed, swinging his feet rhythmically. He had gotten taller. He would stand a good few inches taller than me now. And I noted he kept his hair longer, it brushed the bottom of his ears.

At least he has kept up with his training, I grunted as I noticed his body had also become broader in the time he has been away.

"So how were the sights son?" I asked like he hadn't been gone for over a year.

"They were bo~ring."

I chuckled. Maybe it hadn't been a bad idea to let him go. He no longer seemed inclined to go off and explore, but did that mean he was still willing to continue the business…?

"Find nothing of interest did you?" Silva shook his head before finally his chin and looking me in the eyes.

"I thought it would be exciting Dad, but it was nothing special. More people come to our home than anywhere in the world. Going on assignments was better than trying to find something worthwhile out there." He sighed and hopped off the bed, brushing by me he continued with, "I better go great mother before she comes to greet me."

"Hehehe." I laughed at his tone. It nearly sounded like he would rather resume his training in poisons than greet Kokoru. Which reminded me… I would have to start poisoning his meals again…

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_A/N: Please review ^,^ Gomen, I know it's bad but I don't think it could get much better. But it's fluff after all so I hope no one takes it seriously. And if you do… all I can say is I didn't force you to read it till the end. _

_Now please excuse me while I go begin chapter two…_


	2. Silva & Illumi

**Synopsis: **A younger Illumi asks about "normal people". Does he wish to leave the family? And does Silva convince his son to stay?

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"… Father?" I looked down at my eldest son, barely cresting fifteen, who stood next to me, watching with blank eyes as his younger brother began another session of poison resistance.

"Yes Illumi?"

"What is it like to be a normal person?" Illumi asked without changing a hint of his expression or tone. Nothing but boredom and indifference, almost as if the question was simply asked to fill in time as his brother Milluki reacted to the poison in his food.

Milluki seemed to be weak against every manner of poison, even trace amounts had him reacting. He would need more training in this area…

"Why do you ask?"

"Bored." No hesitation, nothing to tell me more than it was a simple question for lack of anything better.

But I knew my son. He was not one to waste words. Asking questions was a rare thing from him. Illumi preferred finding answers for himself, unless they were truly pestering his mind. Unlike his youngest brother Killua, that boy was always asking questions… Just for the sake of asking, the answers were never of interest to him.

"Then if you're bored you don't want to hear the answer." I replied in the hopes of trying to get him to open up more. I knew his mask of indifference was perfect for the family business, but he didn't have to wear it all the time. Illumi never smiled anymore. Not even at all the antics Killua pulled on the rest of the family, especially on Milluki.

My sons were ingenious about everything… but none seemed to hold an interest in the family business. I had even noticed Illumi taking more and more time when out on assignments, like he was showing reluctance.

Illumi stayed silent as he observed his brother. I sighed after carefully observing them both. It did not seem like Illumi would ask again. The boy had to learn that showing emotions were normal.

"What did you want to know?" Though my focus was on Milluki I saw the slight incline of Illumi's head in my direction. At least the boy was still showing interest in his earlier question.

"What do normal people do?" His voice was soft, not wanting anyone to overhear though the only other person in the room was Milluki. I gestured for Illumi to follow me and we left Milluki to his session.

We went to my office, where we could both sit comfortably on the large couch I kept in there. It would also give us the security of no one overhearing the conversation, something I hoped would allow my son to relax.

"So you want to know what normal people do, huh?" I asked again as we sat side by side. He tilted his head the tiniest degree. I rubbed my chin wondering where I could start. "Well, they're not all that different then us. They grow up, go to work, and support their families. Each person specializes in something different; there are many jobs out there for them to choose from. Some are successful, like our family, and some are not."

"… What kind of jobs?" I chuckled as I saw his down cast head, but peeking through his long onyx strands I saw his eyes looking intently at my face; taking in every word.

"Every kind you can think of. There are people who cook for a living, like our chefs. People who make the clothes we wear. There are even people who make a living like us, killing people or animals for money and enjoyment."

"Enjoyment?" He questioned, the shielding locks were pushed back as he raised his head. So I nodded.

"There are those who find enjoyment in the kill. They are not professionals, their kills are usually messy. It's best not to become like them."

I saw Illumi nod. Even in something like this I was teaching him, lecturing him. It was not the way I had wanted to use to make him open up.

"What else did you want to know son?"

"What… is it like...? Out there?" He made a vague gesture with his hand, but the meaning was clear. The question gave me another pause as I tried to think of how to explain it to the boy. I remembered when I had been curious too, younger than Illumi, but I had gone out and explored. Finally I just sighed and tried to explain in as little words as I could.

"It's different. Out there, the world is far different than what we know. We live on a mountain, interacting only with the family, the servants, and occasionally clients and our targets." I took another pause as I tried once more to arrange my thoughts. It was difficult to explain… Was that why Father had allowed me to go? Did he know that trying to explain in words would be useless? It was too late for me to turn back now. "Out there, there is no black and white like we have taught you. You kill, or you be killed. But only when it is for a job. We have not raised you to kill when there is no reward for it. That is why we are the best, that is why we are a family of _assassins_, not a family of _killers_." I stressed the words, hoping Illumi would understand the difference naturally.

"What about the sights?" He asked. And I hid my shock. I had not expected him to continue asking questions. Maybe I would need to remember to talk to him like this more often…

"What do you want to know?" I asked laughingly. I had been everywhere in that year and a bit I had left home. And I remembered every detail of my journey.

…_**SOME HOURS LATER…**_

"Is there really nothing exciting out there Father?" Illumi had finally relaxed and was now sitting with his legs crossed on the couch beside me. He was using his knees to rest his elbows on and stared at me with his large black eyes. I had just finished telling him about all the places he wanted to know, sometimes going into even the most minute details about a place if he sounded fascinated.

I shrugged a degree before I answered him.

"I found nothing to hold my interest. Coming home allowed me to occupy my time. And as time passed and I married your mother, I decided that travelling randomly did not suit me. Continuing the family business did."

"Hmm…" He hummed.

"What about you? Do you think you will need to see the world for yourself?" I needed to know. If Illumi decided to leave I would have to train Milluki more in order to bring him to the level he needed to be at so I could intrust Kil's training to him.

"… No Father. Travelling does not hold my interest. Good night." His mask was back in place. Without another sound I watched my eldest son leave the room.

If only all my sons were as obedient as Illumi… but I never doubted that Kil would be a different story.

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_A/N: Two fluff chapters. This one I think is my favourite. Illumi as a teen is rather adorable in my head… Though I gotta admit seeing a younger Milluki kinda creeps me out (regardless of how funny picturing him eating poison is). Drop me a review or a pm! And please check out my other fics, I have multiple under the HxH category ^,^_


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